


The Long Wait

by Jade_Rotaski



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/M, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Some angst in chapter 2, Supernatural - Freeform, Supernatural Elements, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-25
Updated: 2014-03-21
Packaged: 2018-01-13 17:55:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1235737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jade_Rotaski/pseuds/Jade_Rotaski
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gabriel has felt empty and wrong since the age of 16, and he's always felt different from other kids, even his own brother; after being told from his father, that their late mother was a witch and he had been born a familiar, he waited a long time looking for his other half...when he finds him however, he discovers that the other might not even know he has magical abilities in the first place.</p><p>Now Gabriel has the task of getting the other to trust him and show him what it means to have magic, and hope that good things do come to those who wait...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 12 years, 10 months, 2 days and 16 hours

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all! Just a quick note to let you know I literally wrote this out in about four hours, I had this idea and it just wouldn't leave me alone, I don't want to make this fanfic too long but expect some plot before we get to any romance. Dean and Cas will eventually make appearances (It's just not the same without those two is it? ) and where Dean is and what he's up to will be revealed soon, though I think people can take a wild guess as to why he's...somewhere.
> 
> As always comments and constructive criticisms are much appreciated so don;t be shy to tell me what you think! =D
> 
> Jade xx

Gabriel was a familiar, and he had known about it for 12 years, 10 months, 2 days, and 15 hours

He hadn't even known what one of those were until he looked it up and asked his father, he didn't know why he was picked, but one day aged 16 he woke up and knew he was different somehow and he knew there was someone out there waiting for him somewhere, his brother Castiel, had been lucky enough to be an average ordinary human being with no connections to anyone, and when Gabriel asked their dad about what he was feeling he looked a little sad.  
Chuck his father, told told him that their mother had been a witch before she had passed away, and his theory was that when a witch has children with a normal every day Joe like him, the lineage doesn't automatically make the offspring witches as well, sometimes normal humans are born, sometimes it's other witches and sometimes its the mix of the two who wind up being familiars.

Familiars had their own magical power of course, Gabriel could shift into an American goldfinch, a small bird with pretty yellow, white and black plumage and with some practise with his mothers old spell book, learned protection and healing spells quite easily, but put up against a full blown witch and he'd find himself in a lot of trouble he couldn't handle, that's why witches and familiars paired up; the witches would gain a boost to their powers, and the familiars were well protected and learned more spells and such under their witches, it was a mutual agreement, a mutual partnership.

For twelve years Gabriel grew up, graduated from school and got a job as a manager at local a cafe right next to a college campus; everything was sold here, from coffee to full blown meals, it wasn't the high life job his dad had been expecting (Castiel wound up being an accountant, go figure) but it made the blonde happy enough though he could never shake the idea that he was incomplete; he'd had his fair share of relationships with both men and women his last disaster of a relationship being with a exotic women named Kali who was a ruthless executive manager of some big named company Gabriel hadn't bothered trying to remember.  
Even though he had a stable job, a good home and such he just felt...wrong, not only because he was one of few outside a coven that knew some magic was real but because he wasn't complete; he needed his other half dammit, and as he got another year older now 29 nearing on 30 he began to loose hope of ever finding them.

That was, until a really tall, young dark haired male walked into the cafe, and ordered two latte's and a blueberry muffin, he didn't look up at Gabriel once while doing so seemingly interested in rummaging in his bag for something and seemed disinterested in the other.

Gabriel on the other hand just stared; it was if time stopped and everyone around them faded into nothingness, it was just him and this mystery guy; he didn't know how or why he knew that this guy was his witch/warlock, but the feeling in his chest told him that this was the guy, that he had to be the witch he'd been looking so long and hard for. "Ah..." Gabriel let out a faint noise before his mouth dried up which was unusual for him; any other day of the week he'd be flirting with anyone attractive that came into the cafe, but the tall guy who had yet to be named had left him practically speechless.

He was faintly aware of someone elbowing him in the ribs and turned to see Charlie one of the waitresses, who was glancing at him him and giving him a look of amusement; the red head was studying computers and technology at the collage, had a girlfriend who lived three states away and loved anything geeky; Charlie was admittedly one of his favourite employees and one of the few people that were his co-worker as well as one of his best friends.

The tall guy was staring at them now with a mixture of confusion and bemusement, and when the blonde noticed he coughed nudged Charlie forward and shuffled towards the back where coffee machines were to get the guys order as Charlie took over for him, being the cheerful conversationalist that was was "Sorry about him, I think he's got a bit of a sore throat, two latte's and a blueberry muffin right?" She said to the tall guy who smiled and confirmed his order, he even started chatting amiably with her as Gabriel fumbled around to get the guys order; it made Gabriel wonder if they knew each other seen as they went to the same college if the id badge around his neck was any indication.

Even the noise from the coffee maker couldn't block out the soft baritone of tall dark and handsome's voice that held a soothing and gentle quality to it, he fumbled with the coffee machine as he tried to fight down a blush that was inexplicably forming on his face; what the hell was wrong with him? Once the coffee was done he set it down on the counter in front of the other and tried not to stare at him too much this time around "T-that will be $8.50" He said, mentally cringing as his voice stammered of all things, what was he? A teenage girl? The male gave him a ten dollar bill and he typed out the amount on the digital till with shaky fingers; why the hell was he so nervous? Sure, in the others presence he felt so strangely complete and whole, but that was no reason to start stammering like someone who didn't know how to deal with an attraction to someone!

Gabriel would be a lair if he didn't find the customer in front of him attractive, the guy he was huge, tall and well built even under the three layers of clothing he had on, Gabriel could tell he was athletic, much like Castiel, who you wouldn't think it but was very athletic under his boring suit and trench coat.  
Shaking his head a little to clear his thoughts, he came back and gave the guy his change, who then smiled at him (And no Gabriel's heart did NOT flutter at the sight of it) took his items and left out the door, as soon as he was out of sight, the whole complete feeling he felt left along with him and Gabriel felt achingly empty once again.

Now the other was gone and his head felt clearer, he wondered why the other hadn't acknowledged him; his dad had always told him witches and familiars could sense each others presence and that when you know you were compatible its a feeling neither of you would miss...so why hadn't the other noticed him, given him a hint, anything? Leaning against the counter he frowned a little bit; witches were meant to know these things...unless he didn't know he was a witch? He knew it happened sometimes, kids who's parents died before they could pass on their teachings, this tended to make the kids powers all but dormant.

He was shaken out of his thoughts by Charlie playfully nudging him in the shoulder with her arm "Sooo...what was that" she asked almost in a sing song tone as she tucked a strand of her firey red hair behind her ear while giving him a playful grin

"What was what?" He asked offhandedly, instantly sounding as defensive as he felt; Charlie had no idea of his powers, and he intended to keep it that way, not because he thought the other would judge him, god knows she was one of the most understanding people on the planet, but because it was safer for everyone if he just kept it to himself. Charlie continued to give him her knowing stare and he tried and failed to look nonchalant, as if he hadn't just gawked openly at a customer and then stammered at him like a starstruck teen.

Charlie let out an airy laugh at that and rolled her eyes "Oh come on, you know what I mean, you were eyeing him up like he was Christmas dinner and you were a starving man" she said with a grin as she leaned on the counter top and idly scanned the cafe; it was late in the day so the morning rush of high strung office workers and half asleep college students had come and gone, leaving the place quiet until lunch "Not to mention, that I have never heard you stutter once when around a stranger you have the hots for, you are usually so smooth and suave"

The blonde snorted at her rolling his eyes in an exaggerated manner and tried to pass it off as nothing but Charlie was smart not to mention really perceptive, she knew something was up with him (If he hadn't already made it that bloody obvious with how he had acted not five minutes ago) "It's nothing, really, I don't even know the guy"

Charlie smiled coyly at him and Gabriel hated that look because she always used it when she was trying to worm stuff out of him, whether it be gossip or days off. "Hmmm pity it's nothing then, because I could have given you a name to add to that handsome face you know, seen as we just HAPPEN to be in the same computer class" She cooed obviously taunting him with a name to add on to Mr tall dark and handsome.

Gabriel tried to glare at her and not betray the fact he was desperate for a name; all these years without his witch and he finally found them and he didn't know who he was at all because he'd gawked at him like an idiot and stammered like a starstruck fan. He let out a long winded sigh before he caved; Charlie always had a way of getting him to comply with her, he had no idea how she managed it at all. "Okay, fine maybe I'm a little curious about him, give me what you got" He asked

"Only if you give me this weekend off, I have my girlfriend coming around to visit" She said with a devious grin, Gabriel let out a stuttering noise of indignation at this "Come on Gabe, I haven't taken any time off in almost 12 months, you owe me a break"

The older blonde opened his mouth to protest before he just slumped his shoulders; the things he had to do to pry important information out of her; how was he her manager again? "Fine, take the weekend off, I want you back in on Monday though" He grumbled a bit at the red head "I'll just Benny if he can cover for you" He said with a wave of his hand "Well? You've exploited a free weekend out of me you better give me all the dirt you have on him"

Charlie pretended to ponder this for a moment before she smiled "His name is Sam, Sam Winchester, he lives in one of the college dorms not far from here, has a big brother who's...somewhere out there, he doesn't talk about his family much, and he wants to be a lawyer...Oh! And he;s taken, has a girlfriend called Jess, though I can't blame you for having good taste, if were straight I'd pick him too" She said with a shrug.

Gabriel listened with rapt attention before he blinked at the mention of Sam having a girlfriend; so what if he did? Being the guys familiar didn't mean they had to have a more intimate relationship or anything, in fact from what this father had told him before he kicked the bucket, intimate relationships between witches and familiars were usually looked down upon...so why did he feel so jealous? "I...see, well it doesn't matter" He said with a shrug trying to brush it off as nothing.

Inwardly though he felt stuck and wasn't sure how to advance; how the hell was going could to approach Sam about this whole witch thing? After all he couldn't just walk up to the other and say 'Hey I know you've never met me and you don't know me at all, but I'm you're a familiar and your my witch!' yeah that would go down about as well as dressing up as a Nazi to go to a Jewish birthday party.

"Well you don't sound like it doesn't matter, what's going on Gabriel?" She asked with a raised eyebrow as she saw a mixture of emotions pass over his face and looked a little concerned for him "I mean you've never met the guy, but now you know about him, you look like someone just told you all candy has just been banned from the planet"

Gabriel gave her a weak smile at that "I can't say, it's sort of a secret and pretty personal" He said truthfully to her; how could he explain magic to her when most of the world was blind to it? And witches didn't exactly make themselves known either, covens had existed and stayed secret for a reason, ever since the days where witch-burning was entertainment, so to the common human magic wasn't real; they guarded their magic and their members from humans and even though in the present day witch burning would be pretty illegal they, still kept themselves hidden, thinking it was best to keep witches and humanity separate.

Charlie raised an eyebrow at that, but thankfully she didn't question it and let it slide with a sigh and a shrug of her shoulders, before she went off to wipe down tables to pass the time until the cafe got busy again. Gabriel however spent the rest of the day wondering where he should go from here and he wished, now more then ever he could ask his dad for advice about this.

It had taken him 12 years, 10 months, 2 days and 16 hours to find his witch, the problem now, was making the other believe the truth.

-TBC-

 

\-----


	2. Complications

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things continue to get even more complicated for Gabriel as he asks his brother for advice on what do do next, meanwhile tragedy strikes for the Winchesters as Dean confronts Sam after five years without contact with bad news, and Sam gets desperate for a job...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long for this, it is pretty long and I actually have a small chunk of chapter three already done, so I hope you all enjoy this chapter! As usual I would really love some comments or constructive criticism if you can spare the time, just so I know what to improve on!
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> Jade xx

Chapter 2: Complications

\---

Gabriel decided that he needed help.

He didn't want to approach Sam with false intentions, but he couldn't just blurt out the truth either, and Charlie as much as she wanted to help just wouldn't be able to understand what he was trying to accomplish, so he turned to the only other person who knew about this whole familiar thing; his younger brother Castiel.

The day after meeting Sam during what would be a usually ordinary workday, he called up his brother asking the other to meet up with him at some time tomorrow; it was easier for the other to come to the cafe rather then they meet up somewhere else and he had stressed to his brother that it was a bit of an emergency.

Gabriel then spent the whole day watching the clock tick by feeling restless and impatient for time to go by faster, Benny one of the part timers seemed to notice his change in attitude ; Benny was a good guy, he;d been in prison for assault though from what he heard he was defending his girlfriend from a co-worker of hers who couldn't take no for a hint and Gabriel couldn't honestly blame the guy for defending someone he loved; he did three years in jail before being released in good behaviour.

Benny was a big guy a lot taller than Gabe, well built and looked scary despite his usually gentle nature and had a southern drawl to his accent; Benny could whip up a meal that could make you come back eager for more, its why Gabriel made him a part time cook for the cafe despite the others lack of chefs training, he paid for the others health and safety training so he could be one of his cooks; his food was just that good.

Somethin’ wrong with you boss? You've been acting like someone’s about to jump ya at any second” Benny asked wiping his calloused hands on a cloth; the lunchtime rush had been and gone and he was taking a well earned break. The blonde glanced sideways at Benny and sighed a bit at that before going back to scanning the windows outside of the cafe for any sign of Sam; the really tall handsome male hadn't come in today, maybe he wouldn't ever come in again, that would be just Gabriel's luck.

"No…no I'm fine, I'm just wishing today could be over that’s all Benny" He said with a faint smile as he tried to brush off the others concern for him; he liked Benny, he was a very gentle and kind guy underneath the rough accent and semi-scary appearance and he could understand why his girlfriend, now his wife, loved him so much; Gabriel was almost jealous, he wished he could have a partner like that.

"Well, if your sure…" He said before he paused and looked thoughtful for a moment, before he turned and headed back into the kitchen, coming back he placed a small plate with large slice of strawberry and chocolate cheesecake down in front of the other, which naturally made the blonde's eyes light up like a Christmas tree at the sight of something sweet "I won't tell Charlie if you won’t" was all Benny said as he pressed a finger to his lips with a thin veiled grin; Charlie had been insisting Gabriel cut down on the amount of sugary things he consumed and to eat more healthily, so this gesture made him very happy. Benny just gave Gabriel a smile and a nod before he retreated back into the kitchen.

Gabriel was both touched and pleased by this gesture and made a mental note to give Benny a little extra on his Christmas bonus as he picked up a fork and cut off a piece of the cheesecake before popping into his mouth and chewing slowly; he made soft pleased noises as he wolfed down the sweet dessert and by the time he was finished and the plate was picked clean, he was feeling much better.

By the time the cafe began to get busy again at around dinner time, he was joined by Jo another college student studying History, and Anna one of his full time workers, who came to hold the fort, and Gabriel let them take over when Cas turned up dressed in his usual suit blue tie and tan trench-coat that Gabriel swore was about two sizes too big for him. "Cassie!" Gabriel grinned as he swooped over and wrapped his little brother up in his arms, giving him a big bear hug that Castiel tensed up at at first, before he relaxed and hugged his brother in return; Castiel was nowhere near as open about affection with people in public than he was, still he accepted Gabriel’s open affection as the two of them were very close.

"Hello brother…I came as soon as I could get time off…what this all about?" He asked curiously cocking his head a little to one side like he usually did when trying to understand something. "You did say it was important...is something wrong?" He asked his blue eyes looking the other up and down for any sign of affliction or injury; he was overprotective, a trait he had picked up from the blonde after their father had passed away.

"I know…not here though, lets go into my office okay?" He said as he pulled the other by the arm into a door marked ‘staff only’ which lead up into a set of stairs; on one end of the room to the left was the staff room and next to it was the managers office; he opened the door and let his brother inside the small room, which was as you’d expect from someone like Gabriel; the whole office was an organized mess; piles of papers were stacked in top of each other, folders were piled and not organized at all and Gabriel saw his brother eye-twitch at the mess and grinned knowing Castiel would not be able to help himself; he liked having things tidy, so when he wound up in Gabriel’s office he always felt compelled to neaten it up while they talked.

"So, are you going to tell me what was such an emergency? Or is this just another excuse to make me clean your office?" Castiel said bluntly as he sat down on the spare chair and began reorganizing papers.

Gabriel shook his head at that, and grinned as he sat opposite his brother, though he was so excited he was almost bouncing in his seat “No not that, at least not this time…Cas I found him! I found my witch!” He whispered in an excited tone, the dark haired males eyes widened in surprise at this as his head snapped up to look at his sibling, his fingers which had been so focused on organizing the forms on Gabriel's desk, came to a halt; after so long without his other half, he had thought Gabriel had given up looking for him, he was glad to find his assumption was wrong.

"You found him? That’s wonderful news Gabriel" Castiel said with a smile as he watched the other bouncing a bit in his seat, like a hyperactive child or an excitable puppy "So…who is he? Have you talked to him yet?"

Gabriel’s smiled faded a bit and he slumped in his chair a little with a sigh all bounce and excitement gone “That’s where I have a problem…see this guy, my witch, he’s a student at the college…but he doesn't seem to know he’s a witch, I could sense him Castiel, as soon as looked at him, I knew he was the one, but he didn't recognise me at all, no hints that he felt the pull of a familiar and a witch bonding, which leaves me to think that he might not even know he has powers”

Castiel raised an eyebrow at that, these things weren't unheard of, but covens usually sought out witches offspring in orphanages to test them for magical abilities as they grew up, true some children managed to avoid the coven entirely and slip the system, but it wasn't a common thing to happen “I see…if his power his dormant then you need to un-tap it somehow”

"Easier said then done Cassie" the blonde said with a sigh as he leaned back in his seat folding his arms over his chest. "I can’t just walk up to him and tell him he’s a witch, there’s no way he’d believe me, especially because I’m a total stranger, I've met him once and when I did meet him, I acted like a total idiot" He said with a sigh.

"Well then if that’s a problem perhaps you should try to befriend him" Castiel said simply ever proving that he was wiser of the two of them "You are always good at drawing people to you Gabriel, surely he won’t be any different, or that much of a challenge for you" he pointed out gently which just made the blonde let out an exasperated sigh.

"It's not that easy, Cas when saw him my mind just went blank, I couldn't even talk to him when we met! That’s never happened to me before…what if it happens again? I don’t want to look like a creepy stalker or something" He said as he slumped down further in his chair sulkily.

Castiel smiled a little at his brother and reached over holding the others hands in his and giving them a gentle squeeze as he tried to reassure the other “You will be able to compose yourself, you have charm and wit on your side, besides you are not alone, I will help you where I can…do you know the full name of your witch? perhaps can start with his past history”

"Yeah his name is, Winchester, Sam Winchester…why what are you planning to do?" He asked as he eyed his younger brother with some degree of suspicion "You aren't going to do anything stupid are you?"

Castiel smiled faintly his blue eyes betraying the amusement he felt, as he gave his brothers hands another gentle squeeze before he let them go and stood up, only pausing to pick up his briefcase from the floor “No brother of course not…after all that’s usually your job” He said with a smile before he left without a word. Gabriel had no come back to that and just laughed weakly as he gave his brother a litte wave as he departed and headed downstairs, the blonde let his head thunk on his office desk with a soft groan; he hoped Castiel’s plan, whatever it was would work.

——

Dean was not expecting a warm welcome from his brother when he eventually met up with again, much less when he broke into his younger brothers apartment, but in hindsight he wasn't feeling right in the head anyway after what had happened to him…what had happened to their dad.

Sammy had a right to know.

He didn't have the patience, nor was he in the right state of mind to wait until morning so he broke in to the dorm and got attacked by Sam as a result (No surprises there, he wasn't being all that stealthy after all), he managed to stop Sam front knocking him unconscious with a baseball bat and pinned him down “Hey little brother “He said with a weak smile as he thought back to all the times they had wrestled as kids; he had missed Sam a lot; it just wasn't the same without him.

"Dean!?" Sam exclaimed as he backed up quickly recognizing the other even in the dark, and the older male couldn't help but let out a faint snort of amusement at how easily he'd stopped the his younger brother from attacking him.

"You're getting rusty man" He said as he let the other go and gave him a hand to help him up off the floor, Sam gave out a tired grunt and took the others hand even though he was tempted to trip the other, he was more interested in what Dean was doing here in the first place; he hadn't seen his older brother for nearly five years, not since he had had an argument with their dad and walked out of the house to get a scholarship at college.

"What are you doing here Dean?" Sam asked exasperated as he brushed himself off and flip on the wall light in the living room so they weren't talking in the dark; he hoped that they hadn't woken up Jess during their scuffle, though a quick glance at their bedroom across the hall indicated she still seemed to be asleep

"…" Dean's smile faded and he swallowed "I…Sammy it's about dad" He said softly as he shoved his hands in his pockets; it should have been an easy thing for him to say but the other had a right to know "He…Sammy he's gone"

"…no" the words slipped out of Sam's mouth before he could stop them, sure he had always hated the fact their dad wouldn't let them live their own lives away from hunting and they had argued so much…but to know he was gone, just dead and buried "…he can't be"

"I sorry Sammy I…I killed him" He said softly as he sank himself down into a chair "The demon…he possessed dad and I managed to killed the demon, I got my hands on this gun, a colt dad said it could kill anything…I had to shoot him Sam, he told me to" He said his voice cracking as he fought to hold back all the emotions he was feeling.

"Dean…I’m so sorry" He said as he pulled his brother into a hug and let his brother finally break down and silently cry into his shoulder, he felt numb, still not letting it sink in that his dad was just…gone, and that the last words he'd ever said to him were ones of hatred.

"Sam?" A sleepy voice of Jess sounded from the bedroom before she saw them both "…Sam what's going on?" She asked softly looking from her boyfriend to the male who was crying next to him.

"Ah…Jess this is my brother Dean, he came to deliver some, bad news" He said softly to her as he let Dean sink even further into the sofa the elder Winchester scrubbing at his eyes as if to hide the fact he'd been crying, as Sam pulled Jess to one side "My dad he…he died" He told her softly "Dean’s pretty torn up about it, do you mind if he stays here with us for a couple days?" He asked her.

"Of course not, he's your family Sam…and he looks like he needs you" She said softly, she examined his face and cupped it in between her palms gently while brushing away tears from the corner of his eyes "I'll go get some blankets for him so he can crash on the sofa okay? Talk to him…he was your father too Sam" Jess said to him with a sad smile before the blonde kissed him gently and walked off leaving them alone to talk privately.

Sam watched her leave the room and turned back to his brother who was obviously trying to reign in his emotions, just like dad had taught them and he headed to the kitchen, he rummaged in the cabinets for a moment before pulling out a bottle of whiskey that had been left over from a Christmas party; he then took out two glasses and poured some of the alcohol into each “Here, I think we both need it” He said offering one glass to his brother as he sat back down; at this point he honestly wasn't sure what to say, he was still trying to let this news sink in.

"I'm sorry Sam I shouldn't have…shouldn't have shot him man, I should have found another way" He said as he took a big gulp of the whiskey grimacing as he felt the amber liquid burn down his throat before settling in his stomach and warming him pleasantly from the inside out and making him feel a little better, at least temporarily.

"Dean…he asked you to, the demon was possessing him and you followed his orders, just like always…he’d be proud of you" He said softly, though in truth he wasn't sure if John actually would be proud; he very rarely gave either of his son's praise when they did well, Dean especially was shunned a lot but he was sure with the demon gone their Dad would be at peace now "...what are you gonna do now?"

Dean swirled the whiskey in the glass and was quiet at that for a long moment “I don't know man, I can't just stop hunting cause Dad is gone, there's still evil sons of bitches out there…” He said but he didn't sound sure, as if hunting was the very last thing on his mind right now, and considering what had happened Sam didn't blame his brother for not even wanting to think about it.

"Listen, why don't you take some time off, Uncle bobby doesn't live all that far away and owns a garage, maybe you could help him out, take your mind off all this…no one says you have to go back to hunting"

"What and live and apple pie life while knowing what's out there?" Dean said sarcastically with a snort "I dunno man…it's just, hunting is all know, a normal life, it isn't exactly my kinda thing you know?" He said before he smiled weakly "I see you made it work though, she's quite a catch" he said softly with a faint smile.

Sam almost flushed at that; he loved Jess, was even considering marrying her when he got accepted into law school and he nodded a bit “Yeah…she’s great, training to be a nurse and everything” He said softly “Anyway, I still say you should see Bobby take a break from hunting…the demons gone so why shouldn't you take a break…you, did deal with dads body right?” He asked quietly.

"Salted and burned as he would have wanted" He promised before he paused and rummaged in his pocket before he held a plain ring out to Sam "I think Dad would have wanted you to have this though, I mean, I got his car…feels wrong you don't have something of his too"

Sam took it and paused as he saw the engraving inside the band ‘J.W & M.W 1979’ and knew it was their dads wedding ring, even after their mom's death their father had never taken it off until Dean had removed it to give to him “…Thanks Dean” He said softly as he swallowed a lump in his throat; having the others ring in his hand just made this all the more real and he curled his fingers around it before he knocked back the rest of his whiskey.

Jess returned then with a spare blanket and pillows “I’m going to head back to bed, if you need me, you know where am” she said to Sam giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze before she said good night and left them alone. They sat in silence for a long moment; neither of them were taking their dads death well, Sam especially felt inherent guilt he hadn't called the man more often. Their father had been human, and considering his job it should have been inevitable some demon would claw their way in and chew their dad up from the inside out, but he still hadn't expected it; their dad had been praised as one of the best hunters out there and in a way Sam had always thought he'd be untouchable that he'd see this mission of his right through to the end, and in a way he did…just not the way any of the Winchesters expected.

"I should get some sleep and you should too, I'll call college tell them about dad, they’ll probably give me some time off, that way we can go and see uncle Bobby, okay?" He said as he rested a comforting hand on his brothers shoulder who nodded at that silently "I'm really sorry man" He murmured though he knew sorry wouldn't cover up the gaping wound that was left in both of them in the light of their fathers death.

John hadn't been parent of the year, but Sam knew his dad had done what he could for them.

Dean nodded looking morosely at the empty glass in his hand as if wishing it would magically fill up, before he looked up at Sam and nodded “Yeah I‘ll try” He said knowing he probably wouldn't, the weight of his dad's death and his part in it was almost suffocating him. He gave Sam a big hug before he turned out the light and lay down staring blankly at the ceiling and feeling the most broken that he'd ever felt before in his life.

Sam meanwhile curled around Jess and clung to her as he tried to not to let his mixed emotions about this whole thing get the better of him and buried his face in Jess’s shoulder breathing in her scent as he closed his eyes. Sleep didn't come easily for either of Winchesters, and by morning Dean was less sober then he had been last night the bottle of whiskey that had been half full was now nearly empty and Dean was staring at the ceiling not even sure what to do next; hunting was all he was really good at and with his dad gone, his motivation to do anything was gone too.

Sam at least had Jess, had her support and her love to get him through this; in the morning he got up and called the collage telling them his father had passed away and his request to take a year out of college had been approved, once that was Done he saw Jess head off to college and he roused Dean, got him washed and dressed before bundling him into the Impala while he drove so they could give the bad news to Bobby.

When Bobby heard the news he pulled the boys into a hug and said nothing about it; John had been his friend sure but there was no way this loss was hitting him as much as it would be hitting them both, he sat them down and got Dean to talk about what happened, once he told the whole story Bobby stood and decided a strong drink was in dire need. "So it's done then? John finally got the demon that killed your mom?" He said after knocking back a swig of hunters helper with a slight grimace as the golden liquid burned down his throat as he watched the boys who both nodded "…what are you gonna do now?"

"I took some time off school, figured Dean could help out at the garage for a bit, take a break from hunting if that's okay with you Bobby and I’ll get a job somewhere I'll start heading out my CV in places" Sam said softly as Bobby nodded; the two of them were like sons to him anyway so there was no way he’d push them away, especially after something as dire as this.

"Of course, I could always do with the help around here" He said not even missing a heartbeat as he did so "If you need a room you can crash here and head to work in town, I got Ash helping me out over there he's a genius but he could use some...prompting and I can't watch him all the time" Dean just nodded at that just going with it, he wasn't going to complain or protest at the moment and it was probably better for him this way; he needed a distraction from hunting, from demons and vampires, from all of it and at least his knowledge of machines and his love for cars would keep him occupied for the most part.

Once that was agreed on Sam left his older brother in Bobby's able care and went back to the flat he shared with Jess, she had come back at around lunch time and taken the rest of the day off to be with him and they mostly spent their time curled up together, her long fingers in his hair as she did her best to comfort him, he was grateful but he knew he couldn't wallow in misery forever, dad was gone, Bobby and Dean were all he had left.

"You never talked about your family" Jess said softly her fingers playing with his hair "You always avoided talking about them" She said softly.

Sam nodded at that "Not much to tell, me and my dad never got along, he wanted me to follow him, do the family business, do hunting, you know for animals and stuff…but I never wanted that and it caused a bridge between us" Sam muttered softly his eyes staring at the TV, but he wasn't really taking it in "Dean was always better at it than me, he didn't like it when I left but, he understood why" He said softly "When I left to go to college…me and my dad had this big fight, we said some horrid things to each other…and I never got to take those words back" He murmured his voice cracking from emotion "He died thinking hated him Jess"

Jess shh’d him softly as she kissed his temple her fingers still raking through his hair soothingly “He was your father Sam, he loved you and deep down you loved him, it's tragic that he passed away before you could reconcile, but I'm sure he knows how sad you are without him, and how much you are sorry, and I'm sure he's sorry too” She said softly.

Sam rolled over curling into her his face buried against the crook of her neck “What would do without you?” He whispered softly

"Crash and burn" She joked lightly and he could feel her soft playful smile as she kissed his hair, Sam smiled sadly into her hair and closed his eyes as he breathed in her scent of sunshine and her favourite perfume; if he was going to take a year off college he was going to have to find a job, something he could do with his eyes closed, just until he healed up and got back on his feet.

—---

When Gabriel saw Sam come into the cafe a week later, he looked the worst he'd ever seen him, he had heard from Castiel that he asked Balthazar, an old family friend and secretary at the college about Sam and found out that he had dropped out of school for a year suddenly, though he wasn't sure what for, all he knew was it was a family related matter and that he should be delicate when talking to the other, looking at the state of the taller male he could see why; he had bags under his eyed his hair was a mess and he generally looked quite ill and Gabriel's heart froze as he felt nothing but sorrow and pain emanating from his witch; he didn't know what had happened but it must have been serious. He had to force himself to put on his usual cheerful smile, to stop himself from grabbing a hold of the other and wanting to protect him from whatever had happened to the other as Sam approached the counter “Hey there, what can I get you?”

"…A job?" Was Sam's dulled and slow reply, he didn't look at Gabriel as he offered the blonde his resume; he'd never had a job before and everywhere else so far had turned him down due to lack of experience, short of doing work that paid cash in hand he was starting to lose hope he'd find any work at all to support himself and pay for college bills and rent, and he didn't want to burden Bobby when he had to deal with Dean right now.

Gabriel blinked at the CV before he took it; While he was happy with the staff he had one extra pair of hands might be welcome, besides the kid looked damn near heartbroken, sighing softly he shuffled to the coffee maker and brewed the other his order that he had the last time he had come here (Gabriel totally hadn't memorised it on the off chance Sam would return) and put a latte on the counter and blueberry muffin on a plate “Here, sit down and eat something, it's on the house, no offence but you like death warmed up, so take a break while look over your CV okay?” He said trying to give the taller male and encouraging smile.

Sam blinked at the free food and the coffee and stared at the other surprised; he remembered this guy vaguely when he'd come in for coffee for him and jess before class started and the shop was right next to the class hall so it had been simply convenient for him to walk in, he hadn't paid the other much attention last time. But now he took in the other, and really looked at him; he was short in stature, with shoulder length dirty blonde hair and warm amber eyes that reminded him of the sunrise, he didn't know why but a shiver trembled down his spine as he looked at the other, as if his mind was trying to point something to him about the other. Still taken aback at the others kindness, he just nodded mutely and did as he was told taking the muffin and the coffee and sitting in a corner on a plush sofa.

Gabriel watched him before looking over the singular piece of paper that was the kids CV; it was well written but the other had no experience in anything, no wonder the other was struggling to find work; if he didn't have a damned bond with the other he wouldn't even have known that Sam was suffering so badly and it was enough to take pity on him.

He called Benny to cover for him after ten minutes or so before he approached the other; Sam had barely eaten his muffin and had mostly just picked at it absently, he did, at least seem to be drinking the coffee which was something. Sitting down opposite the other in a plush chair, he smiled a bit “Well Sam, I don't usually take on employees without any experience…but you look like you've had the shittiest of shit days, and I'm feeling generous, I'll give you a two week paid trial, if things work out l'll hire you here permanently, the wage is decent and you get half price coffee and food, perks of the job” He said with a grin.

Sam just stared at him stunned; he had expected to get shot down here had like everywhere else, but this guy just continued to surprise him, if circumstances were different he would have smiled at the others sassy attitude but all he could manage was a very grateful smile as he realized he didn't even know the guys name and his eyes wandered to the badge pinned to his apron that read ‘Gabriel, Head manager’ in neat lettering. "You’ll try me out? Just like that?" Sam croaked surprised.

"Sure, you seem like a reliable kid, I’ll get the others to train you on how to use the coffee machines, do some health and safety training, even if the job's not for you you'll have something to add to your CV" He pointed out with a smile,

"I…Thank you" Sam mumbled softly "I mean it" He said as he watched the other, again he felt that strange feeling he'd felt before when he looked at the other; it was faint but insistent as if trying to tell him something.

"Don't mention it, when's the soonest you can start?" He asked; he knew he was totally unorthodox in his hiring right now, but what could he say the kid needed for something to go right today and the fact he brimmed with excitement at the thought of working alongside his witch, was just a bonus even if Sam did look 50 shades of miserable.

"Tomorrow if that's okay with you" He said softly; the sooner he got to work the better, doing something productive would taker his mind off his dad.

The blonde nodded at that “If you’re sure you're ready but do me a favour and put on a smile for the customers? I dunno why you look like hell kiddo but it seems serious…this might sound odd coming from a practical stranger bit if you need to talk about it, you can come to me” He offered; maybe it was the pain rolling off the other in waves , maybe it was Gabriel desperate to have a connection with the other, but he knew he wouldn't offer this to anyone else who was nearly a complete stranger.

"I…thanks, really" Was all Sam could say at this, still stunned the other was even giving a him a chance let alone offering a hand at a potential friendship.

"No worries kiddo, finish your muffin and I'll see you bright and early at 9:30 okay?" He said with a soft smile and Sam couldn't help it as his mouth twitched upwards; Gabriel had a smile that was almost infectious.

Sam nodded and looked back to the muffin which had been picked at previously, picking it up he took a bite of it, chewing slowly; once he finished the muffin he left the cafe with a little wave to the blonde before he left a message with his brother and jess telling them he'd gotten a job.

With that small smile still on his face he headed home, feeling better then he had done all week.

-TBC-


End file.
